One example of mechanism for loading a cartridge, containing a disk therein, into a predetermined position of a mechanism chassis of a conventional disk device, is one, e.g. as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2,641,984, in which the cartridge is moved toward the mechanism chassis to be loaded into the predetermined position of the mechanism chassis. On example of a mechanism for preventing external vibrations from being transmitted to a mechanism chassis is one, e.g. as disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2-61181, in which the mechanism chassis is mounted on a box-like casing with vibration-insulating members such as rubber put therebetween.
When the cartridge is moved toward the mechanism chassis to be loaded into the predetermined position of the mechanism chassis as described above, an unusable space is formed on that side of the cartridge, not facing the mechanism chassis, since the cartridge is moved toward the mechanism chassis. When the mechanism chassis is mounted on the box-like casing with the vibration-insulating members such as rubber put therebetween so that external vibrations will not be transmitted to a head on the mechanism chassis, it is necessary to secure a vibration-insulating space between the mechanism chassis and the box-like casing so that the mechanism chassis will not strike against the casing even when the mechanism chassis is shaken upward and downward by the vibrations.
The thickness of the disk device is determined by the sum of the thickness of the cartridge, the thickness of the space, formed as a result of movement of the cartridge, the thickness of the mechanism chassis and the thickness of the vibration-insulating space. Therefore, the thin design of the disk device has been achieved by reducing each of these thicknesses, but it is difficult to reduce the disk device into a thickness less than the above sum.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a disk device which has a thin design achieved by enhancing a space efficiency.
The above object has been achieved by a disk device of the present invention in which when a cartridge is to be loaded, the cartridge is moved toward a mechanism chassis while the mechanism chassis is moved toward the cartridge, thereby loading the cartridge into a predetermined position of the mechanism chassis. With this construction, at the time of loading the cartridge, a cartridge loading mechanism and the mechanism chassis are moved away from a box-like casing, so that a space is formed between the casing and each of the cartridge loading mechanism and the mechanism chassis, and these spaces can be used as vibration-insulating spaces, and therefore even if the mechanism chassis is shaken by external vibrations, the mechanism chassis will not strike against the casing, so that the transmission of the external vibrations to a head is greatly reduced.
At the time of discharging the cartridge, the mechanism chassis is moved away from the cartridge by a force produced by the cartridge loading mechanism, which loads the cartridge into the predetermined position of the mechanism chassis, to move the cartridge away from the mechanism chassis. With this construction, the cartridge and the mechanism chassis are moved by the common mechanism, and the number of the component parts is not increased, and the mechanism can be simplified.
In the cartridge loading mechanism, like a cartridge holder for holding the cartridge, a slider (which serves to move the cartridge holder) is moved toward the mechanism chassis at the time of loading the cartridge, and is moved away from the mechanism chassis at the time of discharging the cartridge. With this construction, the slider and the cartridge holder, which are the moving parts, can be provided only adjacent to that portion of the cartridge, not facing the mechanism chassis, and the opposite side surfaces of the mechanism chassis, and the moving portions of the cartridge loading mechanism do not come to the mechanism chassis portion, and therefore electric parts can be mounted on that portion of the mechanism chassis portion on which the mechanism parts, including a spindle motor, an optical head and a feed mechanism, are not mounted, and therefore the compact design of the disk device can be achieved.
If the amount of movement of the cartridge toward the mechanism chassis is made generally equal to the amount of movement of the mechanism chassis toward the cartridge, the space between the cartridge loading mechanism and the casing is generally equal to the space between the mechanism chassis and the casing. With this construction, all of these spaces can be used as movement spaces for vibration-insulating purposes, and therefore the thickness of the disk device can be reduced to a minimum.
In the above construction, after the cartridge is unloaded, the mechanism chassis and the cartridge are kept moved away from each other. However, there can be provided an arrangement in which after the unloading of the cartridge, the mechanism chassis is again moved toward the cartridge, and with this construction, a time period, during which vibration-insulating members such as rubber are kept compressed, is short, and therefore creep is less liable to develop in these vibration-insulating members, so that the lifetime of the disk device is significantly prolonged.
As described above in detail, in the disk device of the present invention, when the cartridge is to be loaded, the cartridge is moved toward the mechanism chassis while the mechanism chassis is moved toward the cartridge, thereby loading the cartridge into the predetermined position of the mechanism chassis. Therefore, at the time of loading the cartridge, the cartridge loading mechanism and the mechanism chassis are moved away from the box-like casing, so that a space is formed between the casing and each of the cartridge loading mechanism and the mechanism chassis, and even if the mechanism chassis is shaken by external vibrations, the mechanism chassis will not strike against the casing, and therefore the transmission of the external vibrations to the optical head is prevented by the vibration-insulating members.
The mechanism chassis is moved away from the cartridge by the force produced by the cartridge loading mechanism to move the cartridge away from the mechanism chassis. With this construction, the cartridge and the mechanism chassis are moved by a common mechanism, and the number of the component parts is not increased, and the mechanism can be simplified.
Like the cartridge holder, the slider which serves to move the cartridge holder is moved toward the mechanism chassis at the time of loading the cartridge, and is moved away from the mechanism chassis at the time of discharging the cartridge. With this construction, the slider and the cartridge holder, which are the moving parts, can be provided only adjacent to that portion of the cartridge, facing away from the mechanism chassis, and the opposite side surfaces of the mechanism chassis. With this construction, the moving portions of the cartridge loading mechanism do not come to the mechanism chassis portion, and therefore electric parts can be mounted on that portion of the mechanism chassis portion on which the mechanism parts, including the spindle motor, the head and the feed mechanism, are not mounted, and therefore the compact design of the disk device can be achieved.
If the amount of movement of the cartridge toward the mechanism chassis is generally equal to the amount of movement of the mechanism chassis toward the cartridge, the space between the cartridge loading mechanism and the casing is generally equal to the space between the mechanism chassis and the casing. With this construction, all of these spaces can be used as movement spaces for vibration-insulating purposes, and therefore the thickness of the disk device can be reduced to a minimum.
In the above construction, after the cartridge is unloaded, the mechanism chassis and the cartridge are kept moved away from each other. However, there can be provided an arrangement in which after the unloading of the cartridge, the mechanism chassis is again moved toward the cartridge, and with this construction, a time period, during which vibration-insulating members such as rubber are kept compressed, is short, and therefore the deterioration of the properties of the vibration-insulating members due to creep is less liable to occur, so that the lifetime of the disk device is much prolonged.